No matter how long you go MIA for, whether it be off to some island for a month to bask in some sun and swim with the dolphins or you get held hostage by the avengers on the fifty floor for ten days, your 'friends' never care to ask where you've been. Most of them assume you've found yourself some prince or princess from a foreign country that whisked you off your feet and you have no need for them anymore. They truly believe that once they got married and started having kids, friends or acquaintances weren't something they needed or wanted anymore.
So, over the years, you've treated all your friendships in similar ways out of pure survival and habit.
One thing you didn't expect, was to run into your old friend at that airport in Germany, dressed as some kind of bird. Most of the times in your visions, the man was wearing goggles and even though you thought he looked familiar, he was rarely the focus of the story, so he was somewhat blurred in the background with many others.
Another thing you really didn't expect was for said old friend to remember you and actually want to genuinely catch up, see how you were doing, and what you've been up to.
At first, you thought he wanted something from you as you assumed with most people who were friendly towards you for too long, but then you remembered the time you had spent with him before he started working with the avengers and he was actually the most decent person you've met in a long time.
"Look at us," You nudged his side, "Who'd have thought?"
"Not me!" He laughed, shaking his head, and walking with you down the hallway, "I can't believe you're weird like some of them."
"I prefer the term, 'gifted', Samuel," You sassed, and he chuckled, "Have you come to help me train or see who the unlucky lad is today?"
"I think I'm scheduled for...Friday," He thought back and then shrugged, "But I just wanted to see you before you started your first day."
"Like a proud papa bringing his toddler to preschool?" You teased, "Where is my bagged lunch!"
"Oh man, I don't envy whoever is going to-"
He cut himself off when the door to the gym opened and in came a very familiar face who always seemed to pop up at the right moment, dressed in black leggings, sneakers, a black long tee shirt, and a maroon hoodie. You suddenly felt underdressed in your gray capri sweatpants, puma sneakers, black tank top, and a gray cropped hoodie that was designer to match the pants. It was something you'd normally feel good in, but you didn't expect to have Wanda Maximoff so blatantly rake her eyes up and down your figure like she currently was, and she blushed when Sam cleared his throat, having noticed.
"Not the sweater paws," You muttered under your breath, "I'm not gonna make it outta this alive, it's way too cute."
"What is?" He furrowed his eyebrows, only having caught the second part, and you waved it off before you both turned back to the brunette approaching you, "Hey, Wanda."
"Hello, Sam," She smiled over at him, coming to stand in front of you, and her eyes went to yours before she greeted you a little more shyly, "Hi, Y/n."
"You volunteered to train me, Max?" You smirked and she narrowed her eyes with a smile at the nickname, "I'm awfully flattered."
"Alright, don't give her too much trouble," Sam told you with a firm finger point and you pretended to go to bite it, making him pull away quickly, both you and Wanda laughing at how scared he looked, "Good luck, Wanda!"
He called the last part as he left and since it was already almost one in the afternoon, the gym was pretty empty, leaving you both to it.
"Okay, where should we start?" She wondered out loud, given little to no advice from Fury on how to go about training you.
"I don't run," You started listing and then paused, taking her hand abruptly to count off on her fingers, but didn't miss how she blushed, eyeing the movement curiously with big eyes, trying to hide her smile, "I don't do weights, I don't sweat, and-"
"You don't sweat? Is that part of your gifts?" She scrunched her eyebrows, looking up at you with a frown, and you smiled, stilling holding onto one of her fingers.
"No, I just don't like physical activity unless it's...um...just...not exercising." You slowly fumbled out, getting lost and forgetting what you were saying when you locked your eyes on hers, swallowing thickly when she smiled, picking up on the reason.
You dropped her hand from yours, wiping your palms on the sides of your hips, and clearing your throat. You weren't used to being so flustered around anyone and usually could get out of it by rambling or turning it around to make them uncomfortable, but you didn't want to right now.
"We'll start slow." She told you softly, your attention snapping to her when just before it had settled on the floor between you both, and you raised your eyebrows.
"Okay," You nodded, crossing your arms, "How?"
"I want to see your powers in motion," She explained, gesturing for you to follow her, "But not in the gym, I think we should go for a walk instead."
You nodded in agreement, liking the idea of some fresh air, and she led you downstairs, through the huge lobby, then out onto the busy street. You followed her to the park, feeling like you were new to the city and she was showing you around for the first time even though you've lived here all your life and know it like the back of your hand.
She seemed much more relaxed outside, her face softening and she had a small smile that matched her bright eyes whenever a dog went by. You smiled when she chuckled at a baby who had gotten food on their face while their dad fed them, making both of them laugh, and then she sighed longingly when she saw the same dad bundle the baby up even better before lifting him back into the stroller.
It was the beginning of December and neither of you were dressed for the cold day, but you felt so warm inside being in good company that you barely noticed. She didn't seem to mind it either as the two of you walked into the middle of Central Park and she stopped, turning to face you.
You smiled nervously when she appeared to be thinking and then an idea popped into her head.
"You've mentioned headaches when you glimpse into the future," She started and you nodded to confirm before she asked, "How bad can they get?"
"The worst one was right before Germany, when Fury asked me to gather everything I could about what was coming, and since I usually do short term ones or just about my own future, it was a lot to take on at once," You explained and she nodded along with a bit of a squint to her eyes like she was taking mental notes, "I uh, I kind of passed out for six hours and when you saw me, I was sporting a hell of a migraine, but I've gotten good at ignoring them for the most part."
"And it's done that since you started using them?"
"Yeah, the first time, I really wanted to know if um..." You trailed off, glancing away as you willed away your wet eyes, and then cleared your throat, "It knocked me off my feet and I was in bed for a few days with a blinding one, it was awful."
In more ways than one.
"I can tell you've," She paused, and you met her eyes, curious as to why, but then you realized she wanted your attention on her when she finished, "Been through immense pain."
You took a moment to search her eyes, wondering when she was going to make a joke about it or tell you to get over it like you were so damn used to, but she didn't. If anything, her eyes held understanding and empathy, something you've probably never seen in another human being when it came to what you've been through.
And she didn't even know the details.
"Um...I guess so," You mumbled, itching your arm uncomfortably and shifting your weight from one leg to the other, "But what uh, what does that matter?"
She hesitated, her mouth opening and then closing with what didn't need to be said. Then she looked out into the park's field, her eyes surveying the area while yours stayed stuck on her.
"Stop time for me."
